Fighter airplane maker Lockheed Martin locked down a 2020 flow battery launch date on November 25, 2019. It affirmed its claim to be ‘the first disruptive company of the flow battery era’ and said it will be in production before the end of that year. Thus the original 2018 deadline for a working Lockheed Martin flow battery turned out to be over-ambitious. There are often teeming problems when exploring new technology.
Why the Need for a Lockheed Martin Flow Battery
Clean Technica posed the question. After all, why does an aircraft manufacturer need a big battery when it builds sleek fighter aircraft? Perhaps its interest in the national security industry provides the connection.
Getting back on point the Lockheed Martin website says it is working on long duration storage with ‘superior durability, flexibility and safety’. Moreover, it says it is using earth-abundant material for its electrolytes, and promises long life with high round trip efficiency. It is gets that right and corners the market, then its fighter aircraft division could become a side-line to its flow batteries.
Lockheed Martin’s Grid Star Long Duration Storage
Does ‘Earth Abundant’ Mean Non-Toxic and Safe?
That’s about all we know about the Lockheed Martin flow battery at present. However the company does envisage a role in large-scale renewable integration, and industrial energy management.
Its imagination sees micro grid support, and utility reserve capacity and peak playing a role too. Finally, it points out the essential role of grid storage in the energy mix, and the inability of current batteries to deliver abundant capacity. We do continue to live in interesting times as America’s industrial giants adapt to emerging Asian economies.
While we doubt Lockheed Martin is turning its swords into plow-shares, we welcome this new green use for its abundant talent pool. We can’t wait for 2020 to begin. Will it welcome the decade of renewable energy storage?
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Preview Image: Lockheed Martin Energy Storage
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